Musical Theater Writing 101: How to Give Life to Your Story on Stage

Perhaps you adore watching musicals. Perhaps you’ve experienced the feeling of liking a musical overall, with the exception of certain characters, plot points, the ending, etc. Instead of fuming in your seat, why not put your analytical and creative skills to good use and try musical theater writing?

Musical theater is distinguished from other literary forms by the strong emphasis given to music compared to other elements. Musicals can be original compositions, such as Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s Miss Saigon, or based on other literary works, such as Shakespeare’s plays or Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. Broadway is arguably the most famous venue for musicals. Many theatrical singers and actors aspire to perform on Broadway.

If you want to write a good musical, you should first watch as many musicals of varying quality as you can. Note what makes musicals work, and what doesn’t. Note what has been done to death, and what value you can add to the musical theater scene. Also, you should note the differences between musicals and similar literary works, such as films and plays.

In a film, the camera magnifies the emotions conveyed by the actors. In a conventional play, the dialogue is in the form of ordinary conversation rather than a song. In a musical, there are usually no cameras, and most ordinary dialogue sounds awkward when set to music. Your task as the musical writer is to write the dialogue, in the form of songs, in such a way that the characters’ emotions are emphasized on stage without sacrificing believability.

Unlike films, the stage does not allow the luxury of cuts. In musical theater writing, you must coordinate with the production team to create props, facilitate the actors’ entrances, and produce the lighting, etc. Even if the audience knows that the actors change outfits backstage, or that the props have people to move them, the story must nevertheless flow smoothly from one scene to the next.

You shouldn’t forget that musical theater writing is essentially story writing. Know the basic elements of a story—such as the plot, characters, setting, and conflict—before you write down or type out that musical. Don’t forget your audience. Your audience must feel that they are immersed in your story, rather than being mere spectators. If your audience can care about your characters until the very end, then you have done your job.

You can start your musical theatre writing career by enrolling in workshops. Here, you’ll get to meet other writers, and brainstorm ideas with each other. You’ll also meet mentors who’ll critique and help improve your writing skills. If you want more information on musical theater writing, you can read musicals101.com/write.htm. Good luck!